Week 1: Celestial Beginnings
We start off with identifying the major seasonal star groupings; learn a little about the stars as individuals. Each star has its own story. The daily motion of the sky and the different patterns that come and go make a perfect introduction to the next step: the constellations.
Week 2: Never Fear the Celestial Sphere
We will use planispheres to follow the stars and will learn about the 88 constellations of the night sky. The concept of the sky’s seasonal shift, seen from Earth as a vast globe, will be introduced, and we will discover these “Countries of the Sky.”
Week 3: Stepping Back: The Night Sky and The Naked Eye
You will learn to examine the night sky with your unaided senses and how to follow the stars’s rising and setting and the periodic motions of the Moon, Sun, planets, and comets. A bright comet this fall is a perfect time to become acquainted with the sky.
Week 4: The Sky on Our Doorstep
Telescopes are a great tool but not required to study the sky. We will learn about these sophisticated tools and how to use them. British Columbia’s Dominion Astrophysical Observatory was at the forefront of discoveries that paved the way for contemporary notions of the universe.
Week 5: Nebula, Clusters, and Galaxies
We’ll discover the large clusters of stars visible to the backyard observer and what these deep sky targets look like through binoculars and very small telescopes. Using stars as pointers it is easy to “star hop” from bright stars to rather faint celestial treasures.
Week 6: Stars with “Attitude”
Some stars are doubles and variables, some flaring up into flashy explosive displays. Our tour of the night sky will conclude with a look at the variables and the messages contained within starlight, and, lastly, we will visit stars that unlock the distances to the galaxies.
